Four days into the season, Oregon State baseball has done a
solid job without ace pitcher Ben Wetzler.

The Beavers outscored Gonzaga, Nebraska and Pacific by an
average of six runs as they went 4-0 in Tempe, Ariz. Over the final three
games, in fact, OSU totaled an eye-popping 36 runs.

The pitching staff has clearly done its part as well,
chipping in a 3.25 team ERA. As expected, sophomore right-hander Andrew Moore
filled in Friday when Wetzler was scratched from the lineup. He allowed just
one run over six innings a day before junior left-hander Jace Fry surrendered
two runs in seven. Senior right-hander Scott Schultz, who made all of his 27
appearances in relief last year, followed up with another quality start Sunday.

Of course, Moore, Fry and Schultz are proven contributors.
The key question when the Wetzler news broke was how the Beavers' freshmen would
respond shouldering a heavier load.

Jake ThompsonOregon State athletics

So far, so good for OSU. Freshman right-hander Jake Thompson
was downright dominant in his first career start Monday, allowing zero runs and
just three hits in seven innings as the Beavers cruised to a 7-0 rout of
Pacific. Fellow rookies Trent Shelton and Kevin Flemer haven't surrendered a
run in a combined two innings of relief this season.

So the Beavers are showing off their depth early. But how
long will they need to endure Wetzler's absence?

It remains unclear. An athletic department spokesman said he
is hopeful the NCAA's investigation into Wetzler's dealings with a financial
adviser will reach a resolution by the end of the week. The Beavers begin the
Aramark Pac-12-Big 10 Tournament in Tempe, Ariz., on Friday.

What the resolution will be, though, is anyone's guess at
this point. I've heard Wetzler, who was named first team All-Pac-12 after
going 10-1 with a 2.25 ERA in 2013, could miss anywhere between 10 and
50 percent of the season.

The team will hold its first in-season media availability Wednesday
afternoon. As always, I will let you know as soon as news develops.